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The Aiggin Stone is a guidepost on the old pack horse road over the South Pennines between Lancashire and Yorkshire. Known locally as the Roman Road, but now thought to be early 18th century. Left to right Blackstone Edge, central Manchester with Saturn and Mars setting above, Rochdale with Winter Hill transmitter and Scout Moor Wind Farm on the skyline.
Guideposts like this continue to be installed along the four highways that are part of our 2019 resurfacing project. 35 miles of State Routes 542, 547, 548 and US 2 will have new surfaces by the end of September. - FF
Photographed using the Kool-Aid 110 film promotional camera, and Lomography film.
I think the results are pretty decent for a zero-budget 110 promotional camera.
This photo is available in full resolution on my website. If you want to use it, please link to kryshen.net/photos/.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Nov. 8, 2021) U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond greets the Brigade of Midshipmen during a Forrestal lecture in Alumni Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy. Raymond described how the United States Navy’s rich history at sea and its global missions today provide apt comparisons – and guideposts – for meeting the challenges and responsibilities faced by the U.S. Space Force as it grows and matures. The Forrestal Lecture Series was established in 1970 to honor James V. Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense. The purpose of the series is to enhance the education, awareness, and appreciation of the Brigade of Midshipmen for the social, political, and cultural dimensions of the Nation and the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Kenneth D. Aston Jr/Released)
A view of Crabtree Falls, located a mere mile +-ish from the parking lot. The guideposts said the hike was "strenuous", which means "straight down and watch out for mud, tree roots, and slippery rocks." =)
The hike back, if you make the loop, is much more gradual (once you get out of the valley), and twice as long. Ant aptly put it that it felt more like 10 miles at the end. HA!
Totally worth it, though. The view at the falls was wonderful. Peaceful, yet lively with the rushing waters. About an 80 foot drop from the top of the falls. The light was just cresting the tops of the trees when we got to the bottom. The autumn colors look like a huge stained glass window. Beautiful.
Camera used: Premier PC-500
Film used: Kodak Ultramax 400
Location: Mount Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.
'walk the yorke' long-distance hiking trail marker post at kemp bay - wattle point wind farm and newly-rise full moon at rear
southern yorke peninsula, south australia
In my effort to find you
I made you into the image of everything I knew
The memory bank was full of reference points
First a ghost, a man, the wind, the stars
Then a breeze, a whisper, the pen, the paper
The lover, the husband, the friend, the song
Like Dorothy in a dream every piece of my life
Spoke to me through you
Until she was sent back
To wake up and smash through the illusion
All along the props were designed to teach
To be the teacher
To be the lesson
To be the student
And the learning itself
Everything is a dream
My right hand reaches through the curtain
To touch the sky
While my left clings affectionately
To everything beautiful the breath has shaped
Knowing full well you are these still lingering
Like the sweet sleep just before the dawn
© Ganga Fondan 2010
I entered Heaven.
Of course, nothing like Heaven as it is painted. But I'm sure any description of Heaven could have existed there.
What I saw was a perfection of color pattern and sensations. Most things were made of segmented "bricks" of colored light. Not uniform in size, but fitting together perfectly, like the scales on a snake.
Every part of this heaven world moves incredibly fast and my mind can barely register- in fact if I try to focus on something specific in the rapidly moving scene, I get the message, "you don't need to DO anything. Just receive."
All shapes are rounded and geometric. Everything moves with precise fluidity - like robotic octopi tentacles. Lot of gold and white light. At times I - or parts of my body- are submerged in the color/light/liquid. There is a gravity that makes me feel held down...I want to relax every muscle and surrender fully.
It feels like everything is perfect. Perfection in sound. Perfection in visual delight. Perfection in sensation.
It is though some higher consciousness - with a creator's understanding of my brain - has taken control of my synapses. I am experiencing pure delight in every way - and experiencing some sensations that I didn't knew existed.
Something akin to an body orgasm + the feeling of swallowing a big gulp of water while thirsty + the elation of winning the 50 yard dash in 6th grade.
I feel as though my body is motionless - yet I am moved quickly around. Like I am being carried by this light. Like a living conveyor belt of liquid, translucent gold.
This first portion of the experience is beyond mind. There are no lessons or teachings that my human brain can grasp. It feels more like a peek at something. Perhaps a preview.
Perhaps it is like a divine, "Now downloading, please wait" graphic as deeper awareness - beyond conscious thought -flows into me.
Later when I have more control of my mind, I try to process, I find myself puzzled: Does this experience exist solely in my mind? Or is this experience trans-dimentional? Was that an internal or external experience of the divine oneness? In the end, it does not matter. Whether it exists within the cosmic DNA of my physical being, or in some other portion of the unknown universe - it does exist. Even as an idea = it does exist. And if it does exist, then the boundaries of the universe must be redrawn.
***
The intense portion of the experience ends rather abruptly after 10 minutes. But is followed by a longer period where the memories are vivid and my perceptions and thinking are coated with the golden bliss. Like my mind and body are covered in a lubricant of pure light and love.
The thoughts that run through me seem to bridge the 2 worlds. I keep my eyes closed and speak. What I share to others in the room has nothing to do with my experience in the light...but is influenced it.
I see the beauty of the human experience. In contrast to the perfection of the golden light, the human experience has a perfection, too. All the sorrow and trials and love and elation are perfect. The highs & lows of human roller coaster are a different part of perfection. The perfection of duality. Pure love - heaven - golden bliss - is, well, perfect. But it could get boring.
And in all the Universe, I would guess that the human experience is among the least boring.
So, as the All-One, non-dual, cosmic consciousness, why wouldn't I spend a few millennia experiencing the gorgeous drama of humanity?
Just as we can delight in a horror movie...
Or enjoy the joy and frustration in a child's soccer game...
Or happily work towards the success of a project for work...
We can enjoy the game of life.
Being human is all about participating in these small human dramas and letting ourselves feel the tension of it. We enjoy it because you know it isn't truly "real." We know that it will end.
But any of these things can be horrific if you forget that you have taken on the experience by choice.
We can enjoy all the struggles of our human lifetime - knowing that they, too, will end. We allow ourselves to fall into the experience so that we can feel the intensity of it.
*** Innocence Lost ***
Socialization is the process of being taught a worldview. We are indoctrinated to believe that the culture - not anything internal - is the source of our happiness. Our jobs, our status, & our bodies are what is important.
This is taught.
A child doesn't require the guidelines of socialization to seek their bliss. As they grow up, they are given layers of beliefs that cover up and stifle the divine heartsong.
This isn't done with malice. On the contrary, we do it with love. Parents, teachers, & preachers all feel the responsibility of teaching a child how serious it all is.
At some point, we cross the threshold and go from following our heartsong to following the rules and trying to fit it. (or perhaps NOT fit it - but usually as an act of rebellion - not by following our heartsong.)
This is the moment we bite the apple and leave the garden of Eden.
We begin to care what others think. And, unfortunately, the "Other" in our society is A zealot with faith in the Commercial World. Things like the correct brand of shoe, job title, and the ideal % of body fat become the guideposts on our map.
*** Maps ***
But some things must be understood about maps:
A map is not the landscape. You can not understand the Grand Canyon by studying a map of it.
Following the ten commandments will not make you happy or get you into Heaven. Any sacred teachings - whether religious or cultural - are just maps trying to point us to joy. They are fingers trying to point us to the moon. But as the Buddhist say, "Do not mistake the finger for the moon."
This is especially important because of the second thing to remember about maps: They are not infallible - they contain all the innocent misunderstandings and malicious misleadings of those who made it.
Maps should always rank second behind our inner truth. Our inner heartsong. Our divine light. There is a tiny metal filing inside us that - when we tune into it - feels the gravitational pull towards Source.
Towards compassion. Towards love. Towards service.
Towards an awareness of being connected to all things.
Towards an awareness that Joy is the only guidepost to trust.
All maps. All external faith. All well-intended teachings.
Everything of the world must be seen as a finger pointing to the moon.
But it is the iron filing inside - and the pull it feels towards the moon - that is our ultimate compass.
Among all the distractions of the world, the gravitational pull of the moon seems miniscule. And without practice, it may seem to not exist.
But along your path you will meet people who feel that pull with absolute certainty. You will know them by the walk they walk and the peace in their eyes. Do not accept the words they say as truth - words are just maps. Let them be as helpful as they can be - and no more so.
This includes these words you are reading now.
The Buddha said to mistrust all teachings. He had the right idea. Or maybe he didn't. Listen to your heartsong for the final word.
*** How ***
The process of amplifying your heartsong - and by that I mean the map as I see it - is one of Gratitude, Surrender, Acceptance, Love, and Service.
It starts - and continues - as a process of looking critically at your existing worldview. At first you may not know where to look because it feels the "The way it is," But I assure you it is only a map so ingrained in you that it seems like truth. Start to ask, "Why do I want to do this? Why does this anger me? Why am I judgmental in this instance? What would be the risk of being more compassionate or generous in this moment?"
*** Media ***
Turn off your television. Remove advertising from your life as much as possible. The goal of advertising is to trick you into thinking that a product or service will help you towards the moon. And in order to do so, it must convince you that you are off track. You are not thin, rich, or clean enough.
Entertainment is not evil. But marketing most surely is.
Make no mistake, media is not your friend. And with the way that corporations and media are so intertwined and consolidated, the sophistication by which we are fed this misleading map is intense.
*** Baseline **
The world is amazing. It is filled with so many miracles that we stop seeing them. We adjust our baseline to think triumphs like running water and peaceful streets to be taken for granted.
Make primary goal re-adjusting your baseline. Reset your set point so that you can find joy in the common place. I assure you that bird song, blade of grass and sleeping baby you walked right by are as amazing and god-affirming as the grandest spectacle. Don;t let the media steer you into believing what they think is amazing.
Make gratitude lists. Share examples of gratitude with friends, or strangers.
*** Practice ***
Maybe you live in the woods, growing your own food with fertilizer made from your own excrement. If so, how are you reading this? Turn off the Computer and get back to your farm!)
But most of us choose to live - to some degree - in the modern world.
And by doing so we must work hard - and consistently - to fight back the tide of false maps. We must turn away from misleading media and turn towards our heartsong. We must spend time with books, lectures, people, sticky notes, meditations, yoga, nature, & lovers that remind us of truth and amplify the gravity of the moon.
Thank you for being an amplifier of my heartsong. Thank you for being a part of my journey and so many others'. Thank you for being your beautiful, perfect self. And for growing into your divinity at your own perfect pace. Thank you for having patience with yourself and others. Thank you for having the courage to go within and trust yourself over all things external - especially these words.
I Love you.
Namaste.
-Halcyon
Appendix: “Parts of my practice”
**Hug Nation live broadcast every Tues @1 & 6 pm PST
**Jacob Glass's Happiness Boot camp.
**Halcyon's Recommended Books / Lectures
Unchallenged and Unsurpassed achievement in law -
BizNews Asia September 12-19, 2011 issue. Volume 9 No. 20
By Manuel " Lolong " M. Lazaro - Former Presidential Assistant for Legal Affairs and Government Corporate Counsel
The great bard William Shakespeare wrote in an epigrammatic tone : " The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones. "
It is typical of Filipinos to have short memories of another' s good deeds, but long memories of the other 's bad or perceived wrongs. This is the tragic irony in the case of the late President Marcos. The perceived illegal acts of FM have been incessantly tautologized.
They were designed protuberantly to submerge or marginalize his landmark contributions to our legal system. But, as the painter Salvador Dali once said, " The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant. "
FM's secure place in history
The beneficiaries of the February 1986 event - remarkable only for being unremarkable in constitutionalism - have fashioned and sustained a barrage of adverse publicity to efface President Marcos from the tapestry of history.
They are pursuing what Maitland sharply observed: " The essential matter of history is not what happened but what people wrote or said about it ".
However, if we were to speak or write only about the bad of the dead, history would be even littered with more inaccuracies than it is now.
Marcos' achievements and contributions are a matter of record. To obliterate Marcos' achievements / contributions from the pages of history is to distort the past and mislead the future.
Succeeding administrations have employed laws and the media to destroy or consign Marcos to oblivion notwithstanding his solid achievements for the good of the nation and its people.
Good deeds, especially those beneficial to the nation and people, cannot be effaced or expunged. Good triumphs in the end. FM's place in history is secure.
The Marcos laws abound around us. They are embedded in our legal system. They continue to govern and guide the nation and the government functionaries. The vision and foresight of FM in lawmaking for governance are richly illustrated by the varied and numerous vital legal issuances.
Number of FM issuances
From Sept. 21, 1972 up tp Feb. 26, 1986, or in a span of 14 years, President Ferdinand E. Marcos had crafted and formulated, with the assistance of experts, 7,883 presidential decrees and other5 legal issuances. These issuances covered almost every phase of human life or conduct - from birth to the grave, so to speak. They are categorized as follows:
a) Presidential Decrees (1 to 2036 )
b) Letters of Instructions (1 to 1525)
c) Letters of Implementation (1 to 157)
d) General Orders (1 to 61)
e) Executive Orders (366 to 1093)
f) Administrative Orders (349 to 504 )
g) Proclamations (1081 to 2486)
h) Memo Circulars (599 to 1297)
These legal issuances were designed not only for the yester years, but also for today and tomorrow.
Gifted with legal acumen, President Marcos adorned his legal issuances with wisdom and justice, embellished with compassion and concern for the people's welfare. They are exclusive of the hundreds of laws that he authored and/ or sponsored as congressman and senator for almost two decades.
FM: Leader of phenomenal vision
President Marcos was a leader of phenomenal global vision. He dreamed of greatness and he relentlessly pursued its realization. He was a man ahead of his time.
Perhaps it is for this reason he was often misunderstood and unappreciated. But in time, after the winds of hatred and vengeance shall have flown away, he will be remembered as the greatest Filipino lawyer.
Minimal percentage of FM issuances repealed
Significantly, out of the 7,883 presidential issuances, only 67 PDs or less than .01 % have either been repealed or modified.
The minimal percentage of 67 PDs either repealed or modified by EO No. 187 of President Corazon Aquino were the decress increasing the penalties for certain offenses against public order and security,e.g. PDs 38, 1735, 1834,1974 and 1996.
Interestingly, the rationale and purpose of the PDs repealed or modified were resurrected in enacting Art. 134-A of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by RA 6968 (law on coup d' etat). Notably, 7,816 FM issuances are still effective and enforced up to the present. FM's laws still apply and govern the nation today.
In a manner of speaking, FM, the corpus. is dead. But FM, the lawgiver, lives, pulsating vebrantly. FM laws are eloquent proof of the wisdom, vision, and foresight he possessed in formulating tham as instruments of good and effective governance.
Marcosian codes
No president has codified more laws on the same subject as President Marcos did, that are still effective and are being enforced.
Worth mentioning are the 15 codified laws issued by President Marcos that are still enforced:
the Local Tax Code (PD 231); Labor Code of the Philippines (PD 442); Real Property Tax Code (PD464); Child and Youth Welfare Code (PD 603); Insurance Code (PD 612); Revised Forestry Code (PD 705); Code of Sanitation (PD 856); Coconut Industry Code ( PD 961); Water Code ( PD1067); Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines (PD1083); National Building Code (PD 1096); Philippine Environment Code (PD 1152); Fire Code ( PD 1185); Government Auditing Code (PD 1445); Tariff and Customs Code (PD 1464); and Code of Agrarian Reforms (PD 444).
More importantly, there is the Judiciary Development Fund, the wellspring of the financial benefits of the members of the judiciary.
There is also the PAGCOR, the mother of revenues, to fund odd activities, to right the wrong, wrong the right and double the wrong.
Multitudinous concerns addressed
To demonstrate the breath, width and depth of FM legal issuances, hereunder are some of the significant and multitudinous government concerns addressed by laws.
a) to attract foreign investments, he established under PD 66, the Export Processing Authority and enacted the Investment Incentives Act under PD 485;
b) to address the sourcing, supplying and distribution of oil requirements, he established the Department of Energy and its subsidiaries and affiliates;
c) to develop and promote agricultural products, he created the National Irrigation Administration under PD 552;
d) to address the problems of the coconut industry, as coconut is a major export product, he established the Philippine Coconut Authority under PD 232;
e) as an alternative source of revenues, he planted the seeds for local and foreign tourists by establishing the Philippine Tourism Authority under PD 564;
f) as an alternative source of revenues, he established PAGCOR to operate gambling;
g) to upgrade the banking system and invite foreign banks to do business in the Philippines under certain incentives and guarantees, FM caused the establishments of the Offshore Banking System in the Philippines under PD 1034;
h) to legalize the Filipino trait of gambling through horse racing or cockfighting, he caused the establishment of the Philippine Racing Commission under PD 420 and the Cockfigthing Law under PD 1140 to govern and regulate the same;
i) to ensure that the deposits of small depositors will not be deprived of their deposits by bank runs or closure of banks, he caused the establishment of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) under PD 1094 insuring the liabilities of the banks;
j) he created the Philippine Retirement Authority under E.O. 1037, series of 1985;
K) he created the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board under PD 1986; and
l) he established the Philippine Estates Authority under PD 1084;
Government structure
Notably, the structure of government or offices established by President Marcos has remained substantially the same, except the change of name, inclusive of superficial features in laws, to give a semblance of change from that of President Marcos regime.
The only significant department that was abolished after the departure of President Marcos was the Department Ministry of Human Settlements under Mrs. Marcos.
It was dismantled but the functions were distributed to sdifferent offices that President Marcos created.
Socialized housing
The laws on socialized housing were conceptualized by President Marcos through a series of legal issuances from the funding, the lending, mortgaging and to the collection of the loans.
These are governed by the Home Mutual Development Fund, ( Pag-ibig Fund), the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) and the National Home Mortgage Finance, which remain intact up to the present.
Specialty hospitals
All the specialty hospitals of the Philippines, like the Lung Center, Philippine Heart Center, Kidney Center, Philippine Children Center, among others, were of his great concern and are offshoot of his response to public health concerns.
Sadly, after almost 20 years of FM's departure, no specialty hospital of consequence has been established.
Energy crisis
It is truism that a leader's mettle is tested in the crucible of crisis. President Marcos foresaw the oil crisis of 1974.
Sensing and fearing that the foreign oil supply companies could strangle the country of its oil supply requirements and manipulate oil prices, FM caused the acquisition of Filoil.
He made it the biggest oil company of the country, now Petron. It was meant to neutralize any attempt of foreign oil companies to control the supply of oil and dictate the pricing thereof.
Wittingly and dubiously, a president sold substantial shares of Petron to an Arab company managing it.
The entry of a foreign country subverts the very rationale for establishing the biggest oil company under the management and control of the government as a protective shield from any untoward or adverse designs or activities of foreign oil companies.
In further addressing the energy crisis, FM caused the establishment of the Bataan Nuclear Plant. It would have adequately supplied the power needed to reduce our dependence in imported oil.
Unfortunately, the acquisition of the plant was tainted with unproven anomalies. The nuclear plant was mothballed simply because it was President Marcos's project.
The perceived overpricing in the construction of the plant could have been addressed independently of completing the project for the good of the nation. As another measure to address the expected oil crisis, FM initiated and multiplied the geothermal power plants as alternative source of energy.
Had the Bataan Nuclear Plant and geothermal power plants been promoted, increased and further developed, dependence on oil importation to the country would have been lessened.
Water crisis
Marcos also foresaw the incoming water crisis. He foresaw that the source of water supply are inadequate to serve the increasing population. Thus he secured a World Bank grant to make technical studies of the construction of the Lipan Dam.
It was envisioned to be the future source of water adequate to supply the requirements of increasing population until the year 2025.
The project would have cost only at that time $10 Billion.
His successor, however, sidelined the project simply because it was the brainchild of or the initiative of FM, notwithstanding that it is for the good of the nation and the people.
When succeeding administrators realized their folly, one administration wanted to resuscitate the Marcos project only to find out that it will now cost more than $50 Billion, a price too costly to be affordable.
Significantly, there are present moves / measures to continue with the project of FM sired by necessity.
Arts and Culture
President Marcos is the only president who recognized and acknowledged the importance of arts and culture.
He was criticized for the construction of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Philippine International Convention Center, the Manila Hotel, the new GSIS Headquarters. among others.
These edifices, however, have remained the venues for the propagation of arts and culture, the holding of conventions and international conferences, in line with the government's policy thrusts on culture, tourism and public services.
Infrastructure
In the field of infrastructure, more roads and bridges were constructed during the administration of President Marcos than all the roads and bridges constructed from the time of the late President quezon up the time of his predecessor, the late President Macapagal.
These are a few of the significant issuances and undertakings of President
Marcos. some sinister or vindictive minds wish to vanish them but simply cannot.
The issuances and accomplishments of President Marcos are part of our legal system. They continue to touch lives, properties and public functionaries.
Heel or hero ?
Is Marcos a heel or a hero ? It depends. He is a hero to those who are aware and appreciative of his performance and achievements.
However, he is a heel to those who envy his ingenuity, vision and foresight, to those who seek revenge accented by hatred.
Shaper and mover of events
FM's life in law remains a myth, unchallenged and unsurpassed. Like all great leaders and statesmen, he was a shaper and a mover of events. This unassailable fact will continue to intrigue and inspire generations.
FM left an inexhaustible reservoir of innovative and beneficial legal instruments to uplift the nation and the quality of life.
An objective and dispassionate scrutiny of these legal instruments should provide a guidepost in the framing of our laws and the art of governance to promote the common good.
History vindictates
The tragic drama is that biased people remember only the bad or wrong attribute to FM but forget the good he had done and achieved.
At time's healing hands, FM will be vindicated.
FM is a great man - unjustly judged at the wrong time by the wrong minds.
Time and history will vindicate his vision and foresight, especially in lawmakingas a vehicle of governance.
Generations freed from the blemishes of hate, vengeance and prejudice will look more kindly and with gratitude on FM's achievements and contributions to the nation. Dispassionate men will make an icon of FM. Ferdinand Edralin Marcos is the greatest Ilocano.
Marcos family won't appeal burial rejection
By Teddy Molina (The Philippine Star) Updated October 14, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (211) View comments
LAOAG CITY, Philippines – The family of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos will not appeal President Aquino’s rejection of a hero’s burial for the ousted leader but will take their chances with the next administration, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos said yesterday.
Imee, daughter of the late strongman, expressed shock at Aquino’s declaration, saying she had hoped that the President would not miss the chance for reconciliation with her family.
On Wednesday, Aquino announced there would be no state honors for Marcos, saying it would be “the height of injustice” to martial law victims to have the late strongman accorded state honors. He had earlier rejected pleas for a Libingan ng Mga Bayani burial for the late dictator.
But Imee said they had already agreed to a recommendation from Vice President Jejomar Binay for an Ilocos burial for the Marcos patriarch, with full military honors.
The Marcos family said he deserved state honors considering his long years of service to the country as a decorated soldier, guerilla fighter, lawmaker, and eventually as head of state.
But while the Marcoses have abandoned hope of seeing their patriarch accorded state honors under the Aquino administration, Marcos loyalist lawyer Oliver Lozano is making a last ditch effort to make the President reconsider his decision.
“I am confident President Aquino will change his mind. He was ill advised because the arguments presented have no legal and moral basis,” Lozano told The STAR in a telephone interview from Baguio City. He said he is set to write a letter of appeal to Aquino.
He cited a case pending in the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) questioning the legality of the ban on a state funeral for the former president. “I believe the President will uphold rule of law,” Lozano said.
He said Aquino’s statement that Marcos was the brains of martial law was inaccurate because the Supreme Court itself had ruled that the declaration of martial law was not a dictatorship but a constitutional authoritarian move to prevent the communists from taking over the government.
Lozano also argued that human rights victims cannot invoke the compensation issue in blocking a state burial for Marcos.
“When you fight for a cause you are ready to die, you do not think of monetary rewards for your cause. It’s immoral if you wage a political struggle and claim money when you are injured,” he said.
He also rebuffed Aquino’s claim that most Filipinos do not want a state burial for Marcos, saying a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey had even ranked the late dictator among the country’s top 10 heroes.
Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz also scored Aquino’s decision, which he called “unbecoming of a president.”
Cruz said Aquino “failed to act presidential” when he announced his decision. “Before that announcement, he was rather vague… He was neither here or there. All of a sudden, when he was interviewed by the foreign correspondents, his true conviction came out,” Cruz said.
He also said he was wondering why Aquino had to order Binay to recommend ways to solve the Marcos burial issue when he had been against any form of state honors for the ousted leader all along.
President’s prerogative
Malacañang defended President Aquino’s decision, saying he had never reached an agreement with the Marcoses on the issue.
“And the recommendation of Vice President Binay was precisely a recommendation. And after the President made a statement in FOCAP (Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines), the Vice President issued a statement saying that the decision is a prerogative of the President. It should be respected and supported. So ‘no’ means ‘no’ – that’s the word of the President. He keeps his word and it’s just one word: ‘no’,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
“There was never any miscommunication; there was never any misunderstanding extended to the Marcos family. The recommendation of Vice President Binay remained a recommendation until acted upon by the President. And so the President acted upon it decided that in the best interest of the Filipino people, it would not be proper for the President to accord state burial honors to the former president,” Lacierda said.
Marcos’s senator son and namesake accused Aquino on Wednesday of making him and his family believe that the President was seriously considering state honors for the late strongman.
Lacierda said the martial law factor, which figured prominently in Binay’s appraisal of the issue, “really weighed heavily upon him (Aquino).”
“We didn’t elicit or we didn’t give out any hint of the President’s decision primarily because he was still weighing on the issue,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda also said a reconciliation between Aquino and the Marcoses can take various forms.
“I really don’t know what kind of reconciliation you’re describing. Certainly, if you’re speaking of legislative matters, there would be some matters which they – both the President and Senator Marcos – can agree on… We would have to see… We’ll have to cross the bridge when we get there,” he said.
Lacierda said the President apologized to Binay because he made his decision public without telling the vice president first.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., for his part, called on critics to respect Aquino’s decision.
“I thought that he wanted to study the matter further but I guess he already made up his mind. Certainly, it behooves us to respect that decision,” the Speaker said.
A-Teacher party-list Rep. Mariano Piamonte said the President should have been more decisive on the issue. “Many are criticizing him now as to why he wanted Binay to study and have a survey and the decision was that and now he (Aquino) said the matter would be studied further,” Piamonte told a news forum in Quezon City.
“It is good that he has finally put his foot down on this issue after taking so long deciding on the matter. It would indeed be a travesty of justice if Marcos is buried with honors while thousands of his victims are still reeling from the damage he wrought on their lives,” Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said.
Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero, who authored the resolution to allow Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, said he was not bothered by Aquino’s decision. “What’s important is that the majority has not changed its decision,” Escudero said, referring to the over 200 lawmakers who signed the resolution.” With Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero, Perseus Echeminada, Evelyn Macairan
A Derbyshire County Council (DCC) cast iron guidepost in the small village of Eyam in Derbyshire (UK).
These cast iron guideposts generally appeared in large number after the classification of roads (A, B etc) in 1922.
I don't think though that the destinations on the fingers are the originals from when the post was installed in 1929.
www.flickr.com/photos/stuart166axe/tags/guidepost/
Photograph taken by my regular photostream contributor David on his travels and is posted here with very kind permission.
History
Prehistory and Early History
The Romans hand
Traces of settlement in Puchberger valley were very sparse. Only the discovery of a mortise axe (Lochaxt) of serpentine on the Snow mountain (Schneeberg) and the of a Bronze Age dagger are known. A in common parlance as Romans Hand designated guidepost, a hand on a coat of arms, due to the form of the coat of arms probably stems from the 15th century and thus has no relation to the Romans. Rather, it may have been a founder's coat of arms of the modern era.
With certainty is provable that a Roman road had led through Puchberg, over which a lively goods transport took place. Branching off from the military road that led from Vindobona (Vienna) to the south, run a transport route from Leobersdorf over Bad Fischau, Winzendorf, Willendorf and Gruenbach to Puchberg. There this route led along the Größenberg to grassland Mamauwiese and further into the valleys Klostertal and Schwarzatal. Thus, a connection of the provinces of Pannonia and Noricum was etablished. While from the East mainly cereals and wine have been transported, from the West it was salt and wine. The Roman road in the part of the village Sonnberg still reminds this transport way.
Middle Ages - 5th to 15th century
In the area Puchberg are to be found the remains of four castles, which are proven since the high Middle Ages. In the 12th and 13th centuries Puchberg belonged to the county Pitten and thus to the Duchy of Styria. The border to the Duchy of Austria was formed by the valley Piestingtal, which was fortified with castles such as Starhemberg. The utilization as border fortresses for the military fortifications in the Puchberger basin thus was ruled out, in point of fact, those buildings have been seats of lower nobleman.
1357 the possession of Puchberg and Losenheim went to the Stuchse, the Lords of Stixenstein. On 14 April 1381, the strongholds Losenheim and Puchberg together with Stixenstein and Vöstenhof of Albero, the Stuchs of Trautmanndorf, were sold to Duke Leopold III. From 1387 to 1394 the manors by Duke Albrecht III. were pledged to Hans von Liechtenstein, but remained princely property. In those years, Stixenstein gained more and more in importance. The castle Losenheim since the 15th centry may have been left to decay, while the castle Puchberg was used until the 19th century.
The farmers from the department Puchberg had to pay their taxes to Stixenstein. From a urbary of the reign Stixenstein from the year 1500 it appears that the Puchberger farmers were delivering two thirds of cereal tithe (Getreidezehent) to Stixenstein, the provost of St. Ulrich in Wiener Neustadt was entitled to one third. Furthermore, the farmers towards the reign were committed to compulsory labour.
1488 Stixenstein was taken by Matthias Corvinus. The castle and the associated Puchberger area for a long time remained under Hungarian rule. It was not until the early 16th century, the Hungarian troops were repulsed.
With a bill of sale of December 24, 1555 Stixenstein as well as Puchberg and Losenheim came into the ownership of count Hans Hoyos; the possessions him yet previously had been pledged on 27 August 1547 by king Ferdinand. In 1595 the family Hoyos acquired Gutenstein, which became the center of the reign.
Turkish period - 17th century
Allelujahöhle (Alleluia cave)
Puchberg 1700
Wayside shrine
In the aftermath of the siege of Vienna, the Ottomans in 1683 as well came to Puchberg. The inhabitants fled to the Alleluia cave at mountain Himberg. Due to a a fire pit, the Turks became aware and they killed all in the cave present persons. Only a woman with a child who previously shelter in the cave was refused, because it was feared that the cries of the child could betray the fugitives according to legend should have survived the carnage. Yet at the beginning of the 19th century, the Schneeberg author JA Schultes is said to having been found human bones in the Allelujahöhle.
Another part of the population fled into the Taufbrunnenlucke below the Schneider trench at Schneeberg. The name is due to the fact that the children were baptized with the water of there springing source (Taufbrunnenlucke - rock formation).
The Turks ravaged in 1683 homes and the parsonage. The church record books of the year 1686 document the renovation works: historical text: "Again anew parsonage was erected, the cows got barn and shed, as well as the kitchen and the house provided. Below me Hanss Georg Mitis..." Of the residents who were not fled into the woods, kidnapped the Turks at least five married women; from the marriage record it is apparent that the Puchberger citizens Lawrence John Khikher, Mathias Khrumpökh, Simon Khern, Sebastian Hausmann and Hans Khrumpökh were allowed to marry then again. The subsquent fate of the kidnapped women is not known.
The Pest - 17th/18th Century
1679 reached the plague the neighboring communities, but spared Puchberg. Less fortunate was the Puchberger population in the year 1713 when the plague was introduced by carters, delivering boards and coal to Vienna. In the following 22 weeks, 102 people died.
The dead were buried in three places; the chapel on the Gratzenhöhe marks one of those places. On the road to Grünbach at Snow Mountain stands about 200 meters after the Puchbergerhof a shrine with the year 1713. The third burial ground is located at the so-called vices pit (Lasterhöhle) at the end of the way Neusserweges. The Plague column under the two chestnut trees at the start of Sierning road is no indication of a grave site. The column was rather erected to commemorate the victims of the plague.
According to traditions, fled the Puchberger from the plague on the Snow mountain and lived in tents. After the plague the Puchberger pledged to undertake an annual procession on the Snow mountain to a pillar of the Holy Trinity. At the point at which there was the column was later by the then owner of the hill, Graf Johann Ernst Hoyos-Sprinzenstein, the emperor stone (Kaiserstein) in memory of climbing the Snow mountain by Emperor Franz II in 1805 and 1807 erected. As 1721 in the procession the Holy Mass was read, according to a legend the communion cup fell down and the wind blew away the sacred host. From then on, the Puchberger undertook annually on Trinity Sunday a procession on the Mariahilfberg in Gutenstein.
The troops of Napoleon - 19th century
Puchberg around the year 1790 (Josephinian land survey)
In 1805 and 1809, smaller military units of the troops of Napoleon billeted here. During the armistice in 1809, 306 men cavalry were stationed for 18 days in Puchberg. The troops had to be supplied by the local population.
During this time, there were neither attacks on the population, yet was damaged by the French property of Puchberger. Only one incident in the butcher's house during this time brought unrest into the small village, when a French soldier came to the threshing floor, where threshing was just on. For unknown reasons between the French soldier and the threshers broke out a dispute that ended after a vehement gesticulation in a bloody brawl. The commander of the French about the treatment of his soldier was so incensed that he threatened to put the place in ruins. The threshers escaped punishment by fleeing on the Himberg from where they came back again after the withdrawal of the soldiers.
How nice, the guidepost makes the lokalization easy!
[Rydzewen (Rydzewo), Stradaunen (Straduny), Lyck (Ełk) , Allenstein (Olsztyn), Warmia-Mazury, Poland.]
Rydzewen lies ca. 12 km north of Ełk. In 1938 it was renamed as Schwarzenberge.
Scan of a negative. 1920/30, unidentified photographer.
According to Google Earth it seems that there is no village anymore.
Old direction sign that once stood at the junction of Cottonwood and Marble Canyons in Death Valley National Monument, taken in January 1971. These particular porcelain enamel signs were placed by Inyo County under direction of the State of California "Desert Guideposts" project and date back to 1906-1908. These signs were in place prior to the Auto Club of Southern California signage that appeared in the 1910s. Unfortunately, this sign has been stolen or removed, so I guess its safe to post it here now. Scanned from a Kodachrome slide.
DV cottonwood Canyon 1971 Jan 1971a
JURY DISTINCTION
CATEGORY 4. VIDEO LOOPS
Copyright CC-BY-NC-ND: Alexandre Dumoulin
Growing neurons (in pink and green) are attracted towards specific target cells in their environment (cyan). This video visualises one of the basic principles of neural circuits formation, in which neuronal extensions are guided towards specific targets to establish a functional nervous system. Located at the ventral midline of the central nervous system, the guidepost cells attract commissural axons towards the contralateral side of the nervous system. This video shows a time-lapse of images taken by a confocal microscope during a ten-hour period.
Comment by the jury:
A beautiful visualisation of the complexity of dynamical biology showing how neurons interact not only with each other but also with other kinds of cells, a phenomenon that is often forgotten. It is testimony to the magic of science that it can uncover what might be happening inside the viewer’s own head.
Photographed using the Kodak EasyLoad 35 KE60, and Kodak Gold 200 film.
Photographed in Mount Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.
A sleep in, well, at least that is what not waking up until 7:30 am is for me. I read a bit of Harry before my growling tummy propels me into the kitchen. I make a little pot of earl grey, pull some biscuits from the freezer and top them with the remains of the meyer lemon marmalade. I throw open some windows then curl up on the couch to eat my little breakfast. Some more reading, this time The Gifts of Imperfection. I'm into the guideposts now. The first two are authenticity and perfectionism. Ahem. I read and re-read sections of those chapters. Being who you are is a tough one when you hate to disappoint people but it's something I'm getting better at through practice. And perfectionism, well, let's not even talk about the amount of practicing that has to go into that one. But I'm working on it. Plans are set to meet my littlest girlfriends for an ice cream lunch at The Creamery. When I get to the condo for my little dates I'm greeted with such excitement. How can that not make your heart smile, fill, then burst at the seams? It can't I say. Our time together is so funny. I'm in turn told that I am stinky and am washed off with a baby wipe, have many bites of my butterscotch sundae stolen, and am told that I have a snotty face and am washed with a wet napkin. The minds of three year olds is an amazing place! We run around in the grass, the girls collecting dandelions, before they head off for nap time. Lucky girls. Home and into the kitchen. I scrub the place down. Repackage the chicken and pork chops I bought yesterday. Take the garbage out. Feed the plants. Some yoga business. Then out to pick up my next ice cream date. My car is loud, rather embarrassingly so, on the drive. Need to get that looked at. I hate car issues. To Kimball's and the place is mobbed. We claim a spot in one of the lines chatting as we go. I break protocol and order chocolate peanut butter. I'm usually a mocha almond assault girl. Mint chocolate chip for him. We find a table to claim and dive into our massive bowls of small ice cream. Small is about the size of a pint. There is more chatting. Tales of daydreams and summer as youths. We decide to play mini-golf, though he is nervous because he gets the idea that I might be pretty competitive. He called that one right. We play 18 holes. There are some rather bad holes for both of us, balls rolling back to the start or being forcefully propelled back to the start. Despite trash talk of getting a hole-in-one none is had. In the end I win, after some math recalculation has to be done. Back to his place and I request some fruit ninja. We play against one another and together. I'm getting better, then there is Uno, and more Peggle. I think the second go at Peggle has improved my opinion of the game. In fact, I keep saying this is my last round but end up playing 3 or 4 more times. Suddenly it is late and tomorrow is a school day. Goodbyes are said and it is home and into bed. I think I fall asleep mere seconds later.
An 18thC guide post and Parish boundary marker on the line of the old Roman road between Brough and Glossop.
The capstone of the post was stolen early last year but was fortunately found and reinstated after much publicity.
Afro-Asian Connection
The road to Pergamon reminds the trail to Bizerte.
In both cases, you cross the crowded cities - Izmir and Tunis.
Bizerte, the Tunisian seaside town, is dominated by protruding drawbridge -
the guidepost visible from a complex system of streets
in the port with European, nineteenth-century buildings.
Pergamon cone dominates the Turkish Bergama - a symbol of ancient monumentum...
Carthage, in turn, is a broken vessel with a successful past.
Ephesus, meanwhile, is like a well-preserved amphora, which has fallen into desuetude.
The ruins of massive Priene hung over the picturesque valley of Maeander river,
residues of organized, Phoenician Kerkouane dozing at the Mediterranean beach.
Colosseum in El Djem is a lonely and lofty monument of civilization in the Arab town.
Amphitheatre at Miletus - D-shaped -
the ancient audience laughter on the background of Byzantine buildings.
However, my good-natured laughter raises the ubiquitous Turkish sleeveless undershirt,
and gracious Carthaginian policeman comparing my surname
to the name of the Asian school of philosophy.
2010
History
Prehistory and Early History
The Romans hand
Traces of settlement in Puchberger valley were very sparse. Only the discovery of a mortise axe (Lochaxt) of serpentine on the Snow mountain (Schneeberg) and the of a Bronze Age dagger are known. A in common parlance as Romans Hand designated guidepost, a hand on a coat of arms, due to the form of the coat of arms probably stems from the 15th century and thus has no relation to the Romans. Rather, it may have been a founder's coat of arms of the modern era.
With certainty is provable that a Roman road had led through Puchberg, over which a lively goods transport took place. Branching off from the military road that led from Vindobona (Vienna) to the south, run a transport route from Leobersdorf over Bad Fischau, Winzendorf, Willendorf and Gruenbach to Puchberg. There this route led along the Größenberg to grassland Mamauwiese and further into the valleys Klostertal and Schwarzatal. Thus, a connection of the provinces of Pannonia and Noricum was etablished. While from the East mainly cereals and wine have been transported, from the West it was salt and wine. The Roman road in the part of the village Sonnberg still reminds this transport way.
Middle Ages - 5th to 15th century
In the area Puchberg are to be found the remains of four castles, which are proven since the high Middle Ages. In the 12th and 13th centuries Puchberg belonged to the county Pitten and thus to the Duchy of Styria. The border to the Duchy of Austria was formed by the valley Piestingtal, which was fortified with castles such as Starhemberg. The utilization as border fortresses for the military fortifications in the Puchberger basin thus was ruled out, in point of fact, those buildings have been seats of lower nobleman.
1357 the possession of Puchberg and Losenheim went to the Stuchse, the Lords of Stixenstein. On 14 April 1381, the strongholds Losenheim and Puchberg together with Stixenstein and Vöstenhof of Albero, the Stuchs of Trautmanndorf, were sold to Duke Leopold III. From 1387 to 1394 the manors by Duke Albrecht III. were pledged to Hans von Liechtenstein, but remained princely property. In those years, Stixenstein gained more and more in importance. The castle Losenheim since the 15th centry may have been left to decay, while the castle Puchberg was used until the 19th century.
The farmers from the department Puchberg had to pay their taxes to Stixenstein. From a urbary of the reign Stixenstein from the year 1500 it appears that the Puchberger farmers were delivering two thirds of cereal tithe (Getreidezehent) to Stixenstein, the provost of St. Ulrich in Wiener Neustadt was entitled to one third. Furthermore, the farmers towards the reign were committed to compulsory labour.
1488 Stixenstein was taken by Matthias Corvinus. The castle and the associated Puchberger area for a long time remained under Hungarian rule. It was not until the early 16th century, the Hungarian troops were repulsed.
With a bill of sale of December 24, 1555 Stixenstein as well as Puchberg and Losenheim came into the ownership of count Hans Hoyos; the possessions him yet previously had been pledged on 27 August 1547 by king Ferdinand. In 1595 the family Hoyos acquired Gutenstein, which became the center of the reign.
Turkish period - 17th century
Allelujahöhle (Alleluia cave)
Puchberg 1700
Wayside shrine
In the aftermath of the siege of Vienna, the Ottomans in 1683 as well came to Puchberg. The inhabitants fled to the Alleluia cave at mountain Himberg. Due to a a fire pit, the Turks became aware and they killed all in the cave present persons. Only a woman with a child who previously shelter in the cave was refused, because it was feared that the cries of the child could betray the fugitives according to legend should have survived the carnage. Yet at the beginning of the 19th century, the Schneeberg author JA Schultes is said to having been found human bones in the Allelujahöhle.
Another part of the population fled into the Taufbrunnenlucke below the Schneider trench at Schneeberg. The name is due to the fact that the children were baptized with the water of there springing source (Taufbrunnenlucke - rock formation).
The Turks ravaged in 1683 homes and the parsonage. The church record books of the year 1686 document the renovation works: historical text: "Again anew parsonage was erected, the cows got barn and shed, as well as the kitchen and the house provided. Below me Hanss Georg Mitis..." Of the residents who were not fled into the woods, kidnapped the Turks at least five married women; from the marriage record it is apparent that the Puchberger citizens Lawrence John Khikher, Mathias Khrumpökh, Simon Khern, Sebastian Hausmann and Hans Khrumpökh were allowed to marry then again. The subsquent fate of the kidnapped women is not known.
The Pest - 17th/18th Century
1679 reached the plague the neighboring communities, but spared Puchberg. Less fortunate was the Puchberger population in the year 1713 when the plague was introduced by carters, delivering boards and coal to Vienna. In the following 22 weeks, 102 people died.
The dead were buried in three places; the chapel on the Gratzenhöhe marks one of those places. On the road to Grünbach at Snow Mountain stands about 200 meters after the Puchbergerhof a shrine with the year 1713. The third burial ground is located at the so-called vices pit (Lasterhöhle) at the end of the way Neusserweges. The Plague column under the two chestnut trees at the start of Sierning road is no indication of a grave site. The column was rather erected to commemorate the victims of the plague.
According to traditions, fled the Puchberger from the plague on the Snow mountain and lived in tents. After the plague the Puchberger pledged to undertake an annual procession on the Snow mountain to a pillar of the Holy Trinity. At the point at which there was the column was later by the then owner of the hill, Graf Johann Ernst Hoyos-Sprinzenstein, the emperor stone (Kaiserstein) in memory of climbing the Snow mountain by Emperor Franz II in 1805 and 1807 erected. As 1721 in the procession the Holy Mass was read, according to a legend the communion cup fell down and the wind blew away the sacred host. From then on, the Puchberger undertook annually on Trinity Sunday a procession on the Mariahilfberg in Gutenstein.
The troops of Napoleon - 19th century
Puchberg around the year 1790 (Josephinian land survey)
In 1805 and 1809, smaller military units of the troops of Napoleon billeted here. During the armistice in 1809, 306 men cavalry were stationed for 18 days in Puchberg. The troops had to be supplied by the local population.
During this time, there were neither attacks on the population, yet was damaged by the French property of Puchberger. Only one incident in the butcher's house during this time brought unrest into the small village, when a French soldier came to the threshing floor, where threshing was just on. For unknown reasons between the French soldier and the threshers broke out a dispute that ended after a vehement gesticulation in a bloody brawl. The commander of the French about the treatment of his soldier was so incensed that he threatened to put the place in ruins. The threshers escaped punishment by fleeing on the Himberg from where they came back again after the withdrawal of the soldiers.
7 Key Behaviors of People Who Make a Positive Difference In the World
By Cathy Caprino
Look around you and you’ll see three kinds of people — those who hate their work, and complain bitterly, those who just tolerate their work and see it as a paycheck and aren’t looking for more (or feel they can’t have more), and finally, those who love their work, and relish it. The third category is a small subset of all professionals globally, but this group stands out because these are, most often, the people who change the world for the better.
In my work as a success coach and writer, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with people who’ve made a true and measurable impact in the world, including well-known experts, authors, researchers, journalists, scientists, innovators, business geniuses, and entrepreneurs. But among this group of world influencers there are also everyday people who have found a special niche in which they’ve contributed at the highest level.
It’s critical to note that people who’ve made a real difference aren’t all privileged, advantaged or “special” by any stretch. Many come from disadvantaged families, crushing circumstances and initially limited capabilities, but have found ways to pick themselves up and rise above their circumstances (and their genes) to transform their own lives and those around them.
Researching these makers, shakers and disruptors, and working with my own clients who shape the world around them in powerful and constructive ways, I’ve observed seven key behaviors that set them apart — habitual ways of behaving and approaching life and work that distinguish them from those who long to make a difference but can’t or won’t find the way.
The seven core behaviors of people who positively impact the world are:
1. 🌹They dedicate themselves to what gives their life meaning and purpose.
Thousands of people today don’t believe in meaning and purpose as something to discover or pursue in life. And others believe in a life purpose but won’t take the risk to identify or honor it. Those with positive influence feel otherwise. They have found that there is a purpose to their life, and that purpose usually involves some aspect of turning their “mess into a message,” or using what they’ve learned (often the hard way) as a means of being of service to others. People with a sense of purpose are driven, focused, committed, and lit up from the inside — unable to be deterred or distracted from what they believe is the reason they’re on this planet at this time. This sense of meaning and purpose gives them inexhaustible drive and offers guideposts to follow along the path. It informs them of what they wish to attend to in life, and what they need to walk away from because it doesn’t support their higher purpose.
2. 🌸They commit to continually bettering themselves.
People who impact the world for the better know that they are not perfect. They understand how their knowledge isn’t “complete” — there are always gaps, biases, limitations and prejudices, and new places to go with their expertise.
Yes, there are powerful narcissists aplenty, but their influence isn’t positive or helpful in the long run — it’s damaging and destructive. Innovators who positively shape the world come from a “beginner’s mind” and a loving, compassionate heart — with an openness to see, learn, and experience new things on the way to being a better servant of the world.
3. 🌷They engage with people in open, mutually-beneficial ways.
Those with huge positive influence understand the power of relationships, connection, and engaging with the world openly. They’re not afraid to get “out there” — connecting with others, sharing their knowledge and talents, offering their authentic and often contrarian viewpoints and opinions. They’ve pushed beyond any introversion, shyness or reluctance to be who they are, and have learned how to relate well with others and build mutually-supportive relationships that catapult both parties to a higher level. They know that positive, supportive and authentic relationships are the foundational building blocks to anything and everything they want to achieve.
4. 🌺They invest time and energy not in what is, but what can be.
The people I’ve interacted with and interviewed who’ve made a positive impact in the world don’t settle for conformity. When they see something that agitates and disturbs them, they strive to know more, get to the root of the issue, research and understand the contributing factors, and arrive at new solutions. They observe gaps and mistakes in common thinking and behavior, and trust themselves in their belief that it’s time to push the boundaries of what’s accepted. They want to affect change because they believe change will bring a better way to live.
5. 🌼They spread what they know.
We’ve all met authors or “experts” who keep their knowledge secret, close to the vest. They’re afraid to let it out for fear someone will steal it or make money on their ideas. This is the opposite of the positive influencer’s mindset. Those who make a true positive difference can’t help but share and teach what they’ve learned. They don’t see their knowledge as just some commodity to sell, as a meal ticket or a money maker — they see it as information that has to be shared with the world for its betterment. They believe their ideas and innovations are of use and value to others, and can’t help but share those openly, and teach others what they’ve learned. They live the universal principle — “the more you give, the more you get.”
6. 🌻They uplift others as they ascend.
You’ve experienced, as I have, scores of “leaders” and high-achievers who’ve gotten where they are by stepping on the heads and backs of those in the way. These are not true leaders or influencers because their power is a sham — it was obtained unethically and is shallow and weak, and can’t be sustained over the long haul. I have encountered power-mongers who were crushing and cruel to their subordinates and I wondered when they would finally reap what they’ve sown. Over the long term, this day always comes.
On the other hand, people who positively impact the world not only obtain amazing results in their work, but their process of obtaining these results — how they operate in life — is also inspiring and uplifting. They are happy to help and support others, and have an overflow of positive energy that enriches the lives of everyone they work with and connect with. These positive influencers want others to grow. They walk away from “success-building” opportunities that will be hurtful and damaging to others. They know that those unethical, demeaning or destructive approaches go against the very meaning and purpose they’re committed to.
7. 💐They use their power and influence well.
Sadly, it’s a common occurrence in business today to witness power and influence being wielded as a weapon. It hurts and destroys. Positive influencers use their power well and wisely. They understand the widespread influence they have, the power they have to build up and elevate, or tear down. Those who impact the world for the better are careful and judicious with their words, actions and behaviors. They operate with heart, and care deeply about their leadership and communication process and style, and the influence they have. They take it seriously, as a special honor and responsibility not to be flaunted or misused. They understand their special role, and accept it with grace, compassion, and care.
Are you longing to make a positive impact in the world? If so, do these behaviors match your own? How are they different?
source:
The view from inside a rickshaw on my way to Old Delhi Railway Station.
Another constant in my travel writing are apologetic pleas for readers to accept the fact that I am not a miserable traveler nor do I hate everyone. I just wish so fiercely to experience other people who have a genuine interest in open discourse without a constant attempt to appear superior to me or riddling me with politically minded questions about why my country is so strange to them. The US is awesome and I am always reminded of this when I inevitably hit a point, usually two weeks into my travels, where I just want some Little Caesars. I’m sure Nepalis traveling abroad throw their hands up after a couple of weeks and just want some dal bhat. We aren’t that different. While reading a book on the train the next morning I was reminded that travel is a constant yin and yang. I’m really not a huge dick, but traveling can be stressful sometimes.
American tendencies would block an urge to openly introducing myself to another tourist who is quietly reading. Indian travelers are not equipped with this same tendency. From around the pages of my book I noticed the body of an older Indian man sheepishly lingering within my comfort bubble. After the previous evenings one-sided conversation I was in no mood to start another discussion, but I had a feeling that this gentleman was interested in a very different style of communication. I lowered my book, moved my feet, and offered the man a seat next to me. He quickly introduced himself before asking where I had originated. He was very excited to find out that I was from the States and the conversation was on a roll. He was a pathologist specializing in agriculture and his primary concern was in commercially cultivated spices. He shared many stories of the Americans who helped to found the school where he worked, the buildings that they built, the funds that they gave, and the continuing partnership between the US and his school. He was a very interesting man but his excitement to share his stories with me was blocked by his English. Although we talked for quite a while I am sure that I only ended up with about thirty to forty percent of what he was trying to get across and he left very little space in the conversation for me in the way of probing questions.
Despite our conversational short fall he was very helpful in making sure that I got off at the correct station and went to the staff several times to check and recheck that my stop was coming up. Getting myself lost in India was not on my to-do list that day and what he lacked in English he more than made up for in reading body language. The train had begun to stop more frequently and he noticed my anxiety building. He assured me that I would not miss my stop and he delivered on that promise. A conversation that I had thought would result in me banging my head against the window until I fell through and onto the tracks ended in a friendly handshake and smiles. “Enjoy your time in India and good luck in Gorakhpur,” were his parting words
A man stands for a portrait in Jaipur, India. He was very excited to see himself and would move as soon as the shutter snapped.
Gorakhpur, India is like a smaller, dumpier version of Old Delhi. This is the wild west and I am was very lost and slightly terrified newcomer. Pollution and filth stick to you the moment immediately after disembarking from the station. The only difference between Gorakhpur and Delhi is that there are almost no tourists who come through this Gorakhpur so some of the English guideposts and conveniences are nonexistent. To say that my travel plans are at times chaotic does no service to the feelings that was over me when I arrive at a destination realizing that I had left myself with little in the way of a path to follow. I had prepared nothing to help me get from the station to a bus that would usher me to the promised land of Nepal. I was waiting for a Marty McFly -Back to the Future III one of the greatest movies of all time- moment to befall me, but I somehow managed to walk in the relatively correct direction and by way of hand signals, stick figure drawings and the always trusted dollar I managed to get within striking range of a bus to the border.
My bus was started and ready to go. I had arrived as if delivered by some grand design, but in fact it was my continual good luck that had dropped me at the door of the bus that would take me to the border. I was not on time. The bus was running late. The very new and very nice bag that was the safe keeping travel vessel of my new camera gear was stowed away in the bowels of a dirty, rusty and barely attached boot compartment at the rear of the bus with, what I could only assume were lead bricks, stacked on top. The seat that I had so graciously been given to me was at the back of the bus. India is not built for people my size. It is built for the 1.2 billion small people that live there. The standard seats on a local bus are not very comfortable. The back of the bus is reserved for the smallest, most petite of the subcontinent. Anyone approaching a standard sized human in the US would be incredibly uncomfortable back there. I got a ticket for the bench in the back. Fucking fuck.
This would not have been so bad if not for the woman who had purchased the seat directly in front of me and was determined to take up as much space as she could manage. She placed a wooden plank between the last two bench seats, thus closing off the bench in the back from the front of the bus. My knees became her back rest while the seats on her sides became her cup holders and it appeared to be nap time. This bitch took up every inch of space that her small body could possibly occupy. When a person is so rude that the people on a local Indian bus want to murder you have truly reached the peak of Mount Dickbag. I was in a clown bus on the way to a three ringer circus that was a grueling four hours away.
A holy man in Jaipur, India
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